We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adrienne White. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adrienne below.

Alright, Adrienne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

It was March 3, 2018, and little did I know, I was about to walk into a room that would change the direction of my life. It seems dramatic, but this was a “Try the Wheel” pottery class that had been given to my husband and I for Christmas. I had always wanted to try wheel thrown pottery but had never had the opportunity, so this gift was perfect. Within a few minutes, I was hooked and immediately knew I wanted to seek out a longer form course.

I found just that at Manassas Clay in downtown Manassas, Virginia. On Wednesday nights for the next 8 weeks I would join together with a small group of women with various skill levels to learn from veteran potter Jane Cullum all about the fundamentals of throwing on the wheel. Jane would demonstrate new techniques and offer advice as we all worked at our wheels to improve our skills. It was a low stress environment full of fun and valuable beginner information.

Very early on I learned that this craft is much harder than it looks and it requires strength both mentally and physically. One of the hardest lessons you must learn when beginning this craft is not every piece is precious. Pottery will break your heart. So often you put extensive hard work into throwing, trimming, glazing and perfecting a piece just for a crack to appear in the kiln. Jane would often kindly guide us through the forms and skills we learned in class each week, then gently mentioned, “you are just about done” when she could see that we couldn’t let go of a piece that was obviously beyond saving. As with all forms of art, you put your soul into the work and went something goes wrong it feels devastating. Knowing when to cut your losses and start over is a strong antidote to perfectionism.

Beyond the challenges of simply learning a brand new skill, I was also entering a brand new phase of life – parenthood. Just before beginning my first class at Manassas Clay I discovered I was pregnant with my first child. The changes in my physical body brought an additional challenge to the table, but it was nothing compared to the realities of parenthood after my daughter was born. I returned to classes following her birth, but the commute to the pottery studio after work along with the demands of life had me putting pottery on the back burner.

Luckily, I have an exceptionally supportive husband and he recognized my love for the craft and he surprised me with a pottery wheel of my very own. I was now able to throw at home and simply travel to the studio to glaze and fire my work. But, without a class to motivate me to keep going, my skills stalled. Pottery is a skill that requires muscle memory and dedicated time. It’s a bit like riding a bike, but there is always a warm up period every time I’ve had a break from the wheel – even to this day.

Then the world shut down. COVID-19 meant even more time at home and my husband and I decided to invest in a small kiln so I could create start to finish from our home. We committed a room in our basement to be my studio and I refocused on building my skills. I watched a ton of videos and started practicing new skills I was seeing there. The plethora of information on YouTube alone gave me a ton of confidence to keep working on this craft. Soon I was starting to see real growth in my pottery. This growth eventually led to my pursuit of Pottery as a career. Thankfully, the pottery community is an exceptionally generous group and I continue to learn new techniques and skills that improve my products and my business.

Adrienne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Adrienne White, the owner and sole artist behind WhiteMark Ceramics. I create thoughtfully crafted ceramics to enhance your everyday moment. My pieces are created to function beautifully as well as add beautiful color to the mundane palette of our modern homes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a classic white dinnerware set as much as the next girl, but I certainly don’t think of any of those pieces as my favorite – nor do I want to reach for a plain white mug when I start my day. I am here to encourage you to embrace adding color back into your hearts and into your cabinets.

When you visit me at markets or browse my website, you will find a wide assortment of kitchenware such as Oil Bottles, Spoon Rests and customer favorite combination Herb Stripper/Garlic Graters, as well as a versatile drink ware selection of Travel Mugs, Wine Tumblers. and classic Mugs. Plus, I am always adding new forms to my offerings like last year’s jewelry dishes that featured a ring post and holes for earrings of all sorts. All my pieces feature rich color and beautiful blending, some even sparkle.

I strive to share my authentic and true self in-person and online through my work. I hope my pottery reminds people to value the simple moments that bring them joy. I want them to think of loved ones who might cherish these pieces and share them as meaningful gifts. Above all, I hope my work enhances their everyday moments, making them more beautiful and meaningful.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The absolute best part of my work is the customer interactions at markets. Similarly to many others in the small, handmade business world, I spend most of my working time alone. While I love my alone time as much as the next introvert, the solidarity can be very isolating and it’s easy to start to doubt myself, my work, and my value.

Then comes Market Day and I come alive. Seeing the look in a passerby’s eyes when they spot that piece that draws them in or the couple that has a long discussion about “Which would your mom like more?” as they touch piece after piece, or the realization as I explain what that strange looking item is meant for, is pure gold. Whether they buy or not, the compliments and comments make my heart sing, and if a customer does make a purchase, well then… day made.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Community. A true community of people willing to give and receive wisdom and care for the whole community is a greatly underutilized and undervalued resource in today’s world. In the last year I committed to working to create and support communities for myself and others both online and in person and I could not be more grateful.

My online community consists of potters in all areas of the world, in all stages of the craft – some who sell and some who don’t. One space I meet these individuals is through a group literally called “The Community” hosted by Rebecca Ickes Carra. Rebecca has created a space for potters to communicate with each other in a forum setting where discussions range from business practices to encouragement. She also hosts and organizes educational sessions that provide vital information for improving our business and practical skills. It’s an incredible resource for business and craft alike.

My in person community is built of other women who own and operate handmade businesses in my area. We were brought together and are mentored by Michelle Shepard who shares her own experiences as a handmade business owner and the wisdom she has picked up along the way. This group is comprised of many different backgrounds, multiple different mediums, and very different customer audiences, but we all work together to support each other and share ideas to help each other grow. It is a very special group of women and they are an invaluable resource.

When I am feeling most alone and in need of support or wisdom, I know these communities, which are full of incredibly gifted and generous individuals, will help me more than any book, podcast or video ever could.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.whitemarkceramics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitemarkceramics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitemarkceramics

Image Credits

Emily Marcella Photography
Elle Yeon Photography
Krysta Norman Photography
Becca B Photography